Toll-collecting appliance for telephone pay-stations.



Np. 650,488. Patented May 29, I900.

C. E. SCBIBNEB & F. B. MOBERTY.

TOLL GOLLECTING APPLIANCE FOR TELEPHONE PAY STATIONS.

(Application filed Apr. '12, 1899.) (No Model.)

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Slammer; ltf-e m ciIAeLEs E. scnmnne, or CHICAGO, AND FRANK R. MCBERTY,or E ANS-f TON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOLL-COLLECTING APPLIANCE FOR TELEPHONE PAY-Si'ATlO'N.

$PEGIFIGA'IIQN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 650,488, dated May 2'9,1906.

Application filed April 12; 1899.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. SCRIBNER, residing at Chicago, and FRANKR. MOBERTY, residing at Evans ton, Cook county, State of Illinois,citizens of the United States, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Toll-Collecting Appliances for Telephone Pay-Stations,(Case Nos. 475 and 4-7 7 of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description.

This invention applies to pay-stations of telephone-exchange systems andconcerns the operations of initiating and receiving calls at thestation, of depositing or refunding tolls for the use of the telephone,and of supervising in the central office the various acts of the user.

It consists in a combination of devices and circuits permitting theassociation of the tollbox or coin-collecting appliance of thepaystation with the supervising and signaling mechanism oftelephone-switchboards such as are commonly in use in an operativeorganization capable of attaining a high degree of efficiency andreliability in the use of the pay-station.

The principal features of novelty in the present invention are thefollowing: a signaling-circuit between the pay-station and the centralstation, a source of current at the central station applied. to theline, a relay in the circuit and a secondary signal controlled by therelay, a local circuit of the relay also controlled thereby to maintainthe continued excitement of the relay when once magnetized, togetherwith a device in the coin-chute for receiving the coin to close thesignalingcircuit when a coin is deposited and a telephoneswitch to openthe circuit thus closed when the telephone is brought into use, thecombination, with a metallic telephone-line and a ground-returntherefor, of a grounded circuit formed of a portion of the line,containing an individual or line signal at the central office andcontrolled by a deposited coin at the pay-station, a telephone-switchfor breaking the ground-circuit, and a metallic circuit containing asupervisory signal at the central oilice, controlled by thetelephoneswitch,

Berial No. 712;766. (N0 model.)

whereby a connection may be originated only on the deposit of a coin,but the connection may be supervised without the aid of the coin. Theinvention includes other details of secondary importance, which will bemade clear in the following description.

The drawing attached hereto illustrates the system of our invention. Itrepresents in simple form the apparatus of a telephone paystation, aline leading therefrom to a central oifice, and signaling andsupervising mechanism at the central office.

The telephones a, and a at the substation are placed in a circuit ofwell-kn own arrangement for permitting the supply of current forexciting the transmitting-telephone from the central office. The circuitis controlled by the usual telephone-switch c When the telephone is inits position of use, a circuit 1 is formed from line-wire 2, through thetransmitting-telephone a and one winding of an induction-coil a to theline-wire 3, and a shunt 4 is closed about the transmitting-telephone,which includes the receiving-telephone a, together with a condenser aboth circuits being closed by switch-contacts in the telephoneswitch. Apolarized bell a of high impedance, is connected in a conductor 5 insuch a way that the conductor 5 and a portion of Wire 4 form a permanentbridge including the bell to", together with the condenser a Thecoin-collecting mechanism at the paystation consists of a coin-chute 1),leading to a cash-box, a portion b of the coin-chute (which I term thedeflector) being made manually movable by means of button 12 and beingadapted to deflect the coin into a coin chute leading to the exterior ofthe box. A stop b projects into the path of the coin in the fixedportion of the chute. The stop is controlled by the armature of thepolarized magnet Z2 which is normally retained by a light spring inposition to thrust the stop into the coin-chute. A light contact-springb or equivalent device projects into the path of the coin where thelatter is brought to rest upon the movable stop. The contact-spring isassociated with a contact-anvil 12 against which it is thrust whenthespringis moved outward by a coin in the chute. The pushbutton 19which actuates the deflector, actuates also a switch-spring b to move itinto contact with its anvil b when the deflector is in position todivert the coin into the ref unding-chute. The magnet b and thenormallyseparated switch-sprin gs b blare included serially in the wire6, leading from ground to the contact a of the telephone-switch,thr0u ghthe agency of which the wire is brought into connection with line-wire 2when the telephone rests on its switch. The spring b and its contact Ifcontrol a break in a bridge 7 tween theline conductors 2 and 8. The lineconductors 2 and 3 lead at the central office to the line contact-piecesof a springjack c in a telephone-switchboard. A normal extension of theline conductor 2 leads also through the magnet-winding of a relay (2 anda battery e to earth. The relay d controls a local circuit whichincludes a source of current and a secondary line-signal f, associatedwith the spring-jack c in the switchboard. The relay carries a specialwinding which is connected in multiple with a signal lamp. The localcircuit and the normal extension of the line are controlled by the twopairs of switch-contacts of a cut-off relay 9!, whose magnet is in aportion 8 of a circuit local within the exchange,which becomes closed inthe establishment of connection with the line. Thus the relay 9 isadapted to break the normal ground extension of the line conductor 2 andinterrupt the current through the signal-lamp and the special winding ofthe line-relay (Z when a plug is inserted in the spring-jack of a line.

The operator is provided with the usual pairs of plugs 7t and h, whichform the terminals of a plug-circuit 9 10. The sleevecontacts of theplugs, which are adapted to bring the line conductors 2 into union, areinductively united by wire 9 through the agency of twomutually-inductive windings of repeating-coil '6. The tip-contacts ofthe plug are likewise united through the conductor 10, which includesother inductivelyrelated windings of the repeating-coil. A bridge of theplug-circuit is formed, which includesa battery Z. The terminalot thebattery adjacent to the conductor 10 of the plugcircuit is grounded.Conductor 10 of the plug-circuit traverses the magnet-windings of tworelays m and m, one at each side of the repeating-coil. These relayscontrol supervisory signals n and it, which are associated with theplugs h and h, respectively, in the switchboard through the agency ofshunt-circuits about the lamps, which are themselves in conductors 11and 12, which terminate in contact-pieces of plugs h and h,respectively, which register with the ringcontacts of the spring-jacks.Thus the insertion of any plug in a jack closes a local circuit whichincludes both the cut-off relay of the corresponding line and thesupervisory signal associated with the plug. The portion of conductor 9leading from the plug h traverses the normally-closed switch-contacts ofa key 0, which is adapted when depressed to break the circuit to batteryZ and to close it through a battery 19 of opposite polarity.

The plug-circuits are furnished with calling keys 1 for applying callingcurrent to the calling plugs and with listening-keys for connecting theoperators telephone with the plug-circuit. The latterhave been omittedfrom the drawing to avoid unnecessary complication thereof.

When a call originates with another line .forvthe pay-station,connection is completed with the line to the pay-station by means ofplug it of a pair in the usual way. Calling current-applied by key qfinds circuit through line conductor 2, the bridge 4 5 of the line, andline conductor 3, ringing the polarized bell a, the condenser in thecircuit forming no obstacle to the alternating calling current. Theinsertion of the calling plug in the springjack of the line called forcloses the local cireuit 8 12, whereby the line-relay is disconnectedfrom the line conductor and current is produced for exciting thesupervisory lamp it. The lamp remains lighted as long as the relay m isinert; but when the user of the telephone, responding to the call, takesthe telephone for use the switch a closes a bridge of the line includingthe transmitting-telephone and one windin g of the induction-coil,whereby a current is permitted to flow from battery Z through thecircuit thus completed, the supervisory relay m being in thepath of thecurrent. The relay closes a shunt about the supervisory lamp, and thusindicates to the operator the taking of the telephone at the substation.It will be noted that under this condition the telephone apparatusbecomes fully operative without the aid of any deposited coin. When, onthe other hand, a call is to be originated at the pay-station, a coinmust be placed in the coin-chute b as a preliminary to making the call.The coin falls upon the stop 5 and presses the spring I) outward,whereby a circuit is completed from the battery e through line conductor2 and the ground branch 6 at the substation,which excites the relay d.The relay, attracting its armature, closes the local circuit of thesecondary signal, and thus both lights the signal and produces a currentin the special winding of the relay, which maintains the excitement ofthe relay without further dependence on the condition of theline-circuit.

The operator answering the call inserts plug.

h into the spring-jack 0, thus applying the batteryl to line conductor2, bringing the supervisory relay 'm into association with lineconductor 3, and closing the local circuit S 11. The cut-off relay 9breaks the local circuit of the secondary line-signal and severs theconnection of the relay d with the line conductor 2. The polarity ofmagnet is such with reference to the currents from batteries e and Ithat the magnet cannot be operated through the action of thosebatteries. The user of the telephone may at any time after the depositof the toll remove his telephone, and after the reply of the operator hemay give his order for the required connection. The removal of thetelephone from its switch disconnects the temporary ground branch 6 atthe substation and closes a bridge of the line, which permits theexcitement of the supervisory relay m and brings about the extinction ofthe supervisory signal or. If the required connection is obtained, theoperator awaits the termination of conversation, which is indicated toher by the lighting of the hitherto-shunted signal-lamps n and n,consequent on the breaking of the bridges at the substations. Theoperator then presses the key 0, thereby applying a current of reversepolarity to the normal current through the ground branch 6, whereby themagnet b is excited and caused to withdraw the stop I) from the path ofthe coin in the coin-chute and permit the coin to drop into thecash-box. If, on the other hand, the required connection cannot be made,the operator, on determining this fact, instructs the user of thetelephone to replace the telephone on its switch and then to press thebutton I), in order that she may return the deposited coin. Thereplacement of the telephone on its switch is indicated by thesupervisory signal 'n, which becomes lighted through the breaking of thebridge at the substation. The pressure of the button I) to actuate thedeflector b is indicated by the disappearance of the supervisory signal,inasmuch as the movement of the deflector incidentally closes a bridge 7of the line-circuit, which permits current to flow from the battery Zthroughout the metallic circuit to again excite the supervisory relay m.Observing the disappearance of the supervisory signal, the operatordepresses key 0 and releases the coin at the pay-station,which fallsthrough the coin-chute and is diverted by the deflector into the channelthrough which it is returned to the user of the instrument.

It will be understood by those skilled in telephony that acoin-collecting appliance is to be considered the equivalent of variousother appliances for insuring payment for the use of the telephone,-suchas devices requiring the deposit of a purchased blank or token or foroperating registeringmechanism the count from which is made the basis ofa charge for the use of the telephone. This invention of course appliesto any such form of apparatus for insuring payment for the use of thetelephones, the requirement for combining the invention with suchapparatus being merely that a pair of switch-springs Z) If shall beassociated with a part moved by the user of the telephone as apreliminary to its use.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination with a telephone-line to atelephone pay-station, of a call-originating signal-circuit, acoin-chute at the substation and a switch therein actuated by acoinadapted to complete the said signal-circuit, a telephone-switchat thesubstation and contacts thereof adapted to break the signal circuit whenthe telephone is in use, a magnet at the central oftice and a secondarysignal controlled thereby, and awinding ofthe magnet in a circuitcontrolled by switch-contacts thereof; whereby the deposit of a coindisplays a signal which the use of the telephone does not efface, asdescribed.

2. The combination with a metallic-circuit telephone-line to apay-station, of a coin-receiving device at the pay-station and a switchtherein closed by a coin in the said device, a groundedsignaling-circuit including one of the line conductors controlled by theswitch in said coin-receiving device and by switch-- contacts of thetelephone-switch closed when the telephone is not in use, a relay in thegrounded signaling-circuit at the central office and a secondary signalcontrolled'there by, and a local battery-circuit including a winding ofthe relay also controlled thereby, as described.

3. The combination with a telephone-line and a normally-openreturn-circuit associated .therewith, of a relay together with a sourceof current in a circuit closed at the central office between said lineand returncircuit, a secondary signal and a local circuit controlled bythe relay, and a magnetwinding of the relay connected with said localcircuit, and means for breaking the circuit of the relay in makingconnection with the line, a coin-collecting device at the substation anda switch therein actuated by a deposited coin adapted to make connectionbetween said line and said return-circuit, and a telephone-switchadapted to break the connection thus formed, as described.

4. The combination with a metallic-circuit telephone-line and aground-return therefor, of a line-signal in a circuit formed of aportion of the line and the ground-return together with a source ofcurrent, and a coincollecting device actuated by a deposited coin toclose the said circuit, a telephoneswitch at the substation controllinga bridge of the metallic circuit, link conductors for making connectionwith the line, and a supervisory signal together with a source ofcurrent in the link conductor adapted for association with the otherline conductor of the metallic circuit, as described.

5. The combination with a metallic-circuit telephone-line and aground-return therefor, a source of current in a circuit between theline and the ground-return, and a line-signal in the circuit, acoin-collecting appliance at the substation adapted to complete acircuit of the line signal and the source of current when a coin isdeposited; link conductors for making connection with the line, a groundon the link conductoradapted for connection With that line conductorwhich is normally our names this 4th day of February, Afl

not; grounded, and a supervisory signal in the 1899. v same linkconductor; whereby the initial call CHARLES E. SCRIBNER.

is dependent on the deposit of a coin, but FRANK R. MC'BERTY. 5 thesupervision of the line is independent of VVilnesses:

the coin, as'deserihed. ELLA EDLER,

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe NELLIE COLLINS.

